Victor Wembanyama scouting report, strengths and weaknesses before NBA Draft
Victor Wembanyama does not look or play like anyone the NBA has ever seen. Because he developed his game abroad, forgoing the American college basketball route, his game carries a mystical quality in the United States.
The 19-year-old will join the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday as the first selection of the 2023 NBA Draft. He will make his regular-season debut in late October, and assuming he stays healthy, should be an immediate superstar under legendary head coach Gregg Popovich.
But how exactly will Wembanyama look as an NBA rookie? Below, we break down his scouting report and the ways the Spurs may decide to use him early in his career.
Who is Victor Wembanyama?
At a height somewhere between 7-foot-2 and 7-foot-5 (fans eagerly anticipate his official NBA measurement), Wembanyama was an internet sensation before fully figuring out his game. The Frenchman emerged from the youth system of Nanterre 92 before filtering through Centre Federal du Basket-Ball and ASVEL Villeurbanne. His game highlights immediately made the rounds in the U.S. despite him only averaging 6.5 points per game under the tutelage of ex-Spurs star Tony Parker in the EuroLeague in 2021-22.
Wembanyama then joined Metropolitans 92 in the French league for the 2022-23 season and cemented his status as an unmissable talent. This past campaign, he averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. While he shot just 27.5 percent from beyond the arc, scouts expect his outside stroke to improve with time.
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Victor Wembanyama will begin his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs. (Getty Images)Victor Wembanyama's strengths and weaknesses
Kevin Durant is the only active NBA player near 7 feet who similarly moves and pulls up to shoot like a guard. But Wembanyama is much taller than the Phoenix Suns forward. His running 3-pointers and step-backs will be almost impossible to block, even for the best NBA defenders.
Additionally, the Nanterre-born player could develop into a feared interior defender at the other end of the court. He's demonstrated elite shot-swatting instincts at a young age and may improve with extra coaching in the U.S.
Wembanyama doesn't have any red flags in his game, but he will need to improve his 3-point percentage to fully realise his NBA potential as a do-it-all floor spacer. There is also general concern expressed by some talent evaluators about whether someone so tall and thin can withstand the year-to-year grind of the NBA. They point to the injury problems of freak athletes such as Durant, Kristaps Porzingis and Jonathan Isaac. So far, though, the health scrutiny boils down to speculation.
How Gregg Popovich will manage Victor Wembanyama
Popovich carries experience coaching hyped-up NBA newcomers. He oversaw the entire Hall of Fame career of Tim Duncan, the duo bringing five championships to San Antonio. Duncan, Parker and fellow franchise great Manu Ginobili will spend time at the Spurs' facilities this season to help guide Wembanyama.
There is little chance, then, of San Antonio's staff being awe-struck by their No. 1 draft pick.
"It would be an honor [to play for Popovich] for sure," Wembanyama told reporters. "From what I've heard, he's demanding, but one thing I know for sure is that he's good, and until proven otherwise, he has more experience than I do. If I have the chance to be coached by Pop, it will be with a lot of humility and excitement."
Keldon Johnson will be a complementary star next to Victor Wembanyama next year. (Getty Images)Will the Spurs make the playoffs in his rookie year?
While Wembanyama's presence will bring instant postseason hopes for the organization, it may be a year or two before the Spurs break through in a rugged Western Conference. After all, the team is only positioned to get Wembanyama because it was so awful on the court in 2022-23.
The Spurs do have a few roster pieces that could help Wembanyama from the get-go. Keldon Johnson flashed big-time scoring potential last year and can use his wingspan to be an impact defender. Tre Jones and Devin Vassell figure to be roster mainstays for the foreseeable future, though perhaps not in prominent roles.
But the Spurs likely need to find a third standout player beyond Wembanyama and Johnson — either through the draft or via acquisition from another team — if they are to become serious contenders in Wembanyama's early years.
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